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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Race start at the end of the Nabesna Road. The Ellis family very graciously allowed us to gather and start near Devil's Mountain Lodge. The ice climbing out here in the late fall and spring is excellent. However, ice climbing in the middle of winter here is not feasible because it's just too cold.

Old school method of blowing up rafts. About five miles into the race on the bank of Jack Creek.

Floating Jack Creek. It's slow and winding but faster than walking. Jack Creek eventually flows into the Nabesna River where the excitement really begins.

The Nabesna River looking much warmer than it actually is.

Checking the maps after about an hour of floating on the Nabesna to make sure we haven't passed the take-out at Cooper Creek.

Packing up the rafts to begin the hike up Cooper Creek.

Never ending ankle abuse on Cooper Creek.

We hiked until it was so dark that we couldn't see our feet and then bivied in the open. Here's sunrise the next day after we had been hiking for an hour. The fresh snow on the mountains was lower than we would have liked.

Stellar scenery coming down Notch Creek, a few miles shy of Chisana, which is about 50 miles into the race. If you look carefully, you can see a member of our group who was lagging just a bit.

Happy times and good weather at the first checkpoint in Chisana.

Checking the maps near Geohenda Creek. We lost several hours thrashing around in the woods by missing an obvious drainage.

After sleeping under an alder bush in pouring rain near the top of Geohenda Pass, we woke up to see that snow level was twenty vertical feet above us on the hill next to us. Yea, the picture is dark and poor quality but it accurately reflects the mood at the time.

This pack trail at about 5200 feet is between Geohenda Pass and Solo Mountain. We lost the trail several times because of fresh snow. The soft ground trail is a welcome relief after the unstable rocks of creek drainages.

The legendary Solo Mountain Cabin about 75 miles into the race. It's real, and you will never see a more welcome sight.

Smooth terrain in the White River Valley near Lime Creek.

Past Lime Creek and starting up the moraine of the Russell Glacier.

Unnamed 7500 foot peak near the Russell Glacier.

Near Skolai Lake with Castle Mountain in the background.

Standing on the edge of Chitistone Pass. One of the most beautiful places in the world. Chitistone Pass is about 100 miles into the race.

The Chitistone Gorge.

The Goat Trail.

More ankle torturing rocks, near the confluence of Glacier Creek and the Chitistone River. About 125 miles into the race.

After arriving in McCarthy at the finish line at about 4am, we stood sopping wet and hypothermic in the street for three hours until a local inkeeper woke up and took pity on us. She gave us small cups of hot coffee and an apple each. Since we had run out of food 16 hours and 30 miles before, it was highly appreciated.